This week a family vacation in Ruidoso, New Mexico, turned into something no one could have imagined, with flash floods killing two young siblings.
The boy and girl, Sebastian Trotter, 7, and his little sister Charlotte, 4, were named as the son and daughter of a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas.
The relatives were staying in an RV park around the Rio Ruidoso when a flash flood, which was caused by heavy monsoonal rainfalls, swept past early on Tuesday, July 8.
Local reports and family members have said that the floodwaters swept away the children when they were moving fast.
The parents, Sebastian and Stephanie Trotter, also got involved in the disaster and are recuperating in a Texas hospital after sustaining severe injuries.
A Tragic loss
The identities were confirmed by the children aunt Tiffanie Wyatt in a press release and on social media.
She had not forgotten the siblings only with love, but with detail that depicted the picture of two bright, blissful lives taken too soon to end.
We want everybody to know that the children were so lively and they were always laughing, Wyatt said to ABC News.
The older of the two was Sebastian, who was passionate about soccer and hockey cards, who had a dream of becoming a professional athlete someday.
Charlotte was a young girl only four years of age, full of life; she loved to sing, dance, tell jokes, and do makeovers and make fun of the family members using her toy makeup.
Wyatt said, Charlotte loved to be the center of interest. The family had a performer in her.
The local community was shaken, as well as the entire military family at Fort Bliss, where Sebastian Trotter is based.

For us, it was a tragic loss and our hearts are heavy with grief, said Brig. Gen. Rory Crooks, deputy commanding general of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss.
We at the entire Fort Bliss community send our condolences to the family and loved ones of this unfortunate event.
What was the Flash Flood Caused By?
Heavy rainfall on burn scar regions—the land that was burnt by the South Fork and Salt wildfires last year—flooded the region.
These are the most susceptible areas because the burned ground does not easily absorb water and hence heavy rain flows down the slopes in an uncontrollable manner.
The village of Ruidoso reported Rio Ruidoso river reached an all time high of 20 feet topping its previous record of 15 feet by five feet. In minutes, homes, vehicles, and entire RVs were carried away.
During the event, emergency responders conducted more than 50 rapid-water rescues and saved numerous lives, albeit not every life.
Besides the Trotter children two other victims were reported dead. The man was between 40s and 50s and his identity has not yet been announced.
Two of the other victims are the family favorite dogs: Ellie, a 4-year-old German Shepherd and Zeus, a 9-year-old husky.
Investigation and Community Mourning in Progress

The flash floods have ravaged the tiny mountain town of Ruidoso which is famous as a scenic beauty and tranquil camping grounds.
To counter this threat, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared an emergency and is seeking federal help to facilitate community recovery.
In coordination with the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, the Lincoln County Sheriff, and other state and federal agencies, local officials are assessing the damage and conducting the investigation of the situation, which resulted in the flooding.
A Family That Needs Healing
The physical recovery will take time but is in progress as the parents are still in a Texas hospital; however, the emotional damage will be much more difficult to overcome.
The family of Trotter, like most military families, is not completely unfamiliar with sacrifice, but this was a sacrifice they could never have anticipated.
Friends and fellow military families will most likely launch a fundraising campaign to assist the Trotters through rebuilding and recovery.
This is something unimaginable that this family is going through, said a neighbour at Fort Bliss who requested not to be identified.
Everybody is praying that Sebastian and Stephanie made it and that somewhere, they can get the strength to carry on.
The events in the life of Sebastian and Charlotte Trotter are a reminder of how vulnerable life can be, how nature can be so unpredictable, and that there is nothing more powerful than a community.
Their laughs, dreams, and innocence will never be forgotten.
The sorrow that lingers when the waters of the Rio Ruidoso start to shrink is intense; however, the love that came as a result is even more intense.